The present invention relates to an accessory for use with a hand drill. Preferably, the hand drill is of the cordless or battery-operated type. The accessory is intended to facilitate the turning of the crank handle of the opening mechanism of casement-type windows so they are easier to open and close. This accessory would be used by the elderly or those having arthritic conditions and it would facilitate their ease of opening and/or closing of casement type windows since it is now difficult for these people to turn, manually, the crank handles of these opening mechanisms. Often these crank handles are not properly greased or have become sufficiently rusted that operation and opening or closing of the windows is extremely difficult.
In addition, the accessory would have instant appeal to vacation or second home owners who frequently leave their homes shut tight when they are in their primary residence and, upon arriving and "opening up" the house, it is highly desirable for all windows to be quickly opened to allow fresh air to come in. This device would accomplish that in a minimum of time with respect to manual turning of the handle cranks of these casement-type windows. Also, clearly, when it is time for the vacation or second homeowner to "close up" the vacation or second home, prior to leaving, the accessory, again, could be a very simple and quick manner of accomplishing the closing of all windows, rather than manually hand cranking them all to the closed position.
Portable hand drills of the electric cordless-type have recently become extremely popular and are primarily used as portable screwdrivers. These devices have a relative high torque to weight ratio. After use, they are stored for subsequent use in a battery recharger which is connected to a source of household electric current. As mentioned, the principle use of these portable drills is for use as a screwdriver and, therefore, the drill is often provided with a chuck or jaw mechanism for holding alternative drill bits in the form of Phillips-head screwdriver tips or flat head screwdriver tips, all in addition to ordinary drill bits. Irrespective of the shape of the driving head which is inserted into the chuck or jaws of the portable drill, the drill connecting shank is generally a metal hex-shaped rod or bar. A locking mechanism is frequently provided for insuring that the hex-shaped shank is secured into the chuck of the portable drill.
The present invention relates to a new and extremely useful accessory for a portable hand drill or screwdriver which facilitates the quick and easy turning of the crank handle of the opening mechanism of a casement-type window. The accessory can be easily inserted and locked into the portable drill and, then, the head of the accessory can be easilY slipped into place over the crank handle. When it is desired to either open or close the casement window, after the head of the accessory is placed or slipped over the lateral extension of the crank handle, the trigger or other actuator of the hand drill is depressed and the torque power of the hand drill rotates the head of the accessory which, in turn, causes the crank handle to rotate about its turning axis to thereby operate the opening mechanism of the casement window. Typically, these portable hand drills or cordless screwdrivers are provided with a "reverse" switch so that the present accessory can be used to either open or close the casement type window, as desired.